Richard Desmond, owner of Channel 5, is set to be close to agreeing a deal with Endemol to bring Big Brother back to UK television.

The Guardian, reported that the commercial terms for the deal have already been agreed and the final sign-off is expected within days.

Big Brother only ended its 10-year association with Channel 4 last September, but Channel 5 want a new programme to boost their ratings.

One source claimed that Channel 5′s version of the show will be on a smaller scale, but with a longer run than the typical 13-week stint on Channel 4.

Speculation is mounting that long-running Big Brother host Davina McCall will return for the Channel 5 version of the programme, however later today Davina said she will not be returning to host the show.

A source said: “Channel 5′s ratings are not great and Big Brother will really help them deliver, particularly given there is nothing on the schedule or seemingly in the works to produce such numbers.”